– Date – October 3, 2012
– Send your cool ‘SCIENCE!’ shout-outs to
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– Theme song by Steve Seamans of the Daisy Dillman Band. Get the song HERE.
– Thank you to everyone who has been purchasing books, Skepticality stuff, or using our Amazon link to help us!
Skepticism, Past and Future
– The Miracle of the Sun event took place October 13, 1917.
– Nancy Fowler’s Conyers apparitions also took place on the 13th of the month, including October.
– The Miracle Photographs taken in Conyers were debunked by the Georgia Skeptics.
– The Shroud of Turin was found to be a medieval forgery by carbon dating announced October 13, 1988.
– Unsourced.org is a web site and a browser extension to add missing sources for news articles.
– Balancer is a browser plug-in to help you diversify your sources of political news.
– Two smartphone apps (Ad Hawk and SuperPAC) can identify US political ads by sound.
– Truth Market allows the general public to create and fund cash challenges of dubious claims.
– Skeptic History facts are posted daily on social media find out where on this page at Tim’s blog.
Unnatural Virtue
– Telepathy has been studied by scientists since 1882.
– Some of the best results came from the so-called ganzfeld experiments.
– Parapsychologist Dean Radin reviewed these experiments in The Conscious Universe: The Scientific Truth of Psychic Phenomena.
– In the 19th century, the study of ESP was called 'psychical research', That term gave way to 'parapsychology'
– Today many parapsychologists call their field 'anomalous cognition'.
– Some scientists, like Charles Tart, consider their work to be in the field of 'consciousness studies.'
– Tart thinks the mind is separate from the brain and that materialism is at an end because of findings in parapsychology.
– Tart sees a spiritual quest driving those who pursue such studies.
– Scientists, like Joseph Banks Rhine and Rupert Sheldrake, have attributed telepathy or clairvoyance to animals.
– Topics of interest to those studying telepathy include: psychic drift, the psi assumption, the psi-focus assumption, the psi-conducive state and sensory leakage.
– The Skeptics Dictionary and Skeptic's Dictionary for Kids.
– A paperback edition of Unnatural Acts: Critical Thinking, Skepticism, and Science Exposed! is now available from Lulu.com. For more info, click here. The eBook is still available.
The Odds Must Be Crazy
– The Odds Must Be Crazy.
– This week's featured story is, "The Contract Coincidence".
– Story was submitted by reader David Buck Please visit the story link for a more detailed analysis and to add your comments.
– More information about Elizabeth Loftus can be found here.
– Additional thoughts and considerations provided by Barbara Drescher.
– Our producer and audio engineer is Brian Hart.
– Our theme music comes to us courtesy of Brian Keith Dalton, AKA Mr. Deity.
– Please visit The Independent Investigations Group Los Angeles.
– The Odds Must Be Crazy can be found on Twitter, Facebook, and Google+.
– Wendy Hughes is on Twitter.
– Jarrett Kaufman is on Twitter.
– Barbara Drescher is on Twitter.
– Brian Hart is on Twitter.
– Brian Keith Dalton is on Twitter.
Sexual Brain Science – Interview(s) Dr. Ginger Campbell & Joanne Hanks
– Dr. Ginger Campbell is a medical professional and host of the 'The Brain Science Podcast' and 'Books and Ideas' podcasts.
– Ginger sometimes is part of the Atlanta Skeptics events.
– Her first book, "Are You Sure?", is now available as an e-book.
– Elizabeth Loftus has done quite a bit of research on the topic.
– Joanne Hanks is the co-author of 'It's Not About The Sex… My ASS'.
– The tale of one woman's journey through being a polygamist in a Mormon cult.
– Mormon's believe that God and Jesus reside on the planet Kolob.
– The cult leaders wanted to go back to how the Mormon's practiced thier faith before Utah became a state.
– Helaman Pratt decided to take many Mormons down to Mexico to go back to 'real' Mormonism.
– United States GOP Presidential nominee, Mitt Romney is the Great, Grandson of Pratt.
– Mormon scripture is quite oppressive to women.
– Brigam Young University has had university police spy on students to see if they are going to known gay estashbliments.
– Some BYU students are speaking out online about some of the problems.
– TV Shows like 'Big Love' or 'Sister Wives' are fair depictions of modern fundimental Mormon polygamy.
– Much television and media coverage was given to Joanne and her cult through folks like John Stossel.
– Joanne got permission to use one of the articles by Steven Novella in the book.
– You can read a large excerpt of the book on the website.
– Their cult leader made them prepare for the return of Christ on March 25th 2000 to Manti, Utah.